MRS. BUSH: Thank you, and thank you, Governor Bush. I'm always
honored to be introduced by the Governor of Florida. He makes me feel
just like family. (Laughter.)

Your Governor and First Lady Columba Bush are doing a wonderful job
for the people of Florida, and I'm proud to be here with them today.
(Applause.)

Thanks to the military families who are here and a special thanks
to the soldiers of the 495th Transportation Company and the Second of
the One Hundred Sixteenth Field Artillery Battalion. (Applause.)

I appreciate the military leaders with us today. Secretary
Brownlee, a decorated veteran in his own right; Major General Douglas
Burnett; Major General Whitcombe; and Rear Admiral John Jackson.

Thank each one of you for your service to America and for your
leadership of our armed forces. (Applause.)

I'm glad to see Congressman Adam Putnam -- he has a nickname, I'm
sure you can guess what it is, that the President gave him. (Laughter.)
I'm also glad to see Mayor Mike Easterling and the many state
representatives here. And I especially want to thank State
Representative Baxter Troutman, who worked so hard to organize this
salute. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Baxter. (Applause.)

Events like this one give us the chance to say thank you to our
service men and women -- and to their families -- who make great
sacrifices on behalf of their fellow Americans. Today, we want the
message to come through loud and clear to the men and women who served
or are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world: We support
you and we believe in you. (Applause.)

You're standing watch for freedom and protecting the rights and
liberties that we hold dear. America is safer because of the men and
women who devote themselves to military duty.

The success we've achieved in Iraq and Afghanistan is remarkable.
Thanks to America's soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and members of
the National Guard and Reserves, the Taliban have been driven from
power in Afghanistan. (Applause.)

Saddam Hussein's murderous tyranny is ended -- and 50 million men,
women and children in these two countries are now tasting the first
fruits of freedom. (Applause.)

Achieving a lasting peace will require that we overcome further
challenges. In Iraq, forces opposed to freedom -- from both inside and
outside the country -- are leading attacks designed to intimidate the
Iraqi people and our coalition forces. The terrorists don't yet realize
that those who desire and cherish freedom can not be intimidated.
(Applause.)

In the face of the attacks of September 11th, 2001, we grew more
united and more determined than ever before to defend our liberty.
Terrorists cannot shake our resolve to win the war on terror.
(Applause.)

But the most amazing thing about our men and women in uniform is
that even as they fight to defeat terror, they still have an enormous
capacity to bring friendship and compassion to people who desperately
want a better life.

In nations formerly oppressed by fear and torture, the United
States of America is delivering hope. It comes in many forms. For some,
hope is a clean-water well dug by U.S. Army engineers. For others, it
is a school refurbished and opened for the first time to young girls.
And parents are profoundly grateful that their children have warm
winter coats -- bought in a store near a U.S. military base and
delivered thousands of miles away to families in need.

You are the face of American compassion abroad. You will have a
greater impact than you can ever imagine on people that you will only
know for a brief time. But you have delivered the greatest gift they
will ever know -- you've sacrificed your own comfort, your own safety,
and your own lives so that others might know freedom. (Applause.)

We will never forget your commitment, nor will we forget the men
and women who have fallen in service to America. They've made the
greatest sacrifice for peace. Their spirit lives on in the hearts and
minds of a new generation of children who cherish the values they
fought for -- children like Zach.

I met Zach when I arrived here. His cousin and best friend, Lance
Corporal Kyle Little, serves in the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit in
Afghanistan. Zach is only six years old, but he already knows what he
wants to do when he grows up -- he wants to be a Marine, just like his
cousin. (Applause.)

Our men and women in uniform amaze us with their courage. And they
inspire us with their compassion. And so do their families. Our entire
nation appreciates the sacrifices military families make as they
support their loved ones and our country.

On behalf of Zach, President Bush, and every American, thank you
for ensuring that another generation of children in Iraq, Afghanistan,
and America will grow up in peace.

May God bless you and your families, and may God bless the United
States of America. (Applause.) Thank you all. Thank you so much.
(Applause.)